Tuesday, June 30, 2015

In an article in 'The Atlantic' Jessica Lahey called on schools
to 'stop penalizing boys for not being able to sit still at school'.
The article
was motivated by her observations of boys as a teacher and
her reading of the findings of research on boys published by the
International Boys’ Schools Coalition’s 'Teaching Boys: A global study of effective practices'.
Her teaching of boys suggested that while some
struggled at school, others thrived. What is the ingredient that leads
to inconsistency? Is it simply within the boys, or are there factors
external to the boys that are at work?

As a young boy I
experienced first hand what it means to move from being a talented and
successful boy in the primary school years, to being a struggling
student who was often in trouble as a teenager. At secondary school I
slipped from A classes to B classes and then found myself struggling
with a number of subjects. However, my achievements varied across
subject. While in some classes I was rebellious and disengaged, in
others I was motivated and successful. This is not an uncommon
experience for boys. Some teachers, subject and even specific lessons work for
boys, while others don't. Why? Is the answer in the curriculum? The
content? The child? Or something else?

The research
work by Dr Michael Reichert and Dr
Richard Hawley set out to find answers to questions such as these, and
concluded that the problem wasn't just within the boys. They interviewed
teachers and students and observed effective lessons in eighteen
participating schools from North America, UK, South Africa and
Australasia. They found that the most effective lessons for boys
included a number of common elements:

They required students to be active learners (physical activities were a key)

The teacher embedded desired learning outcomes in the form
of a game or fun activities

The lessons required individuals or groups of students to
build, design, or create something that was judged competitively by classmates

They required students to present the outcome of their work to other students

They asked students to assume a role, declare and defend a position, or
speak persuasively about something

The lessons held student attention by
surprising them with some kind of novelty element

Lessons addressed
something deep and personal in the boys’ lives; they engaged at a deeper personal level.

Getting a sense of scale!

Reichart and Hawley concluded that the
learning problem wasn't due to the limitations of the boys, but rather
the failure of lessons to actively engage them. What they found when
they observed effective lessons in the eighteen participating schools
from North America, UK, South Africa and Australasia, was that
relatively simple changes in classroom pedagogy made a difference for
boys.

The common features in successful lessons for
boys were active learning,
movement, teamwork, competition, consequential performance, risk taking,
and surprise. They concluded that successful lessons required teachers
to engage and
energize boys. They also found that boys were deeply relational and that
the establishment of a positive relationship between teachers
and boys is critical.

This last point is important.
Over many years I have often asked students to name a great teacher and
then to say why. The reasons given vary, and are typically
idiosyncratic. But within each of the responses, invariably the student
indicates that the teacher 'took an interest in them', 'understood
them', 'saw some potential in them', 'got them interested in learning'
and generally excited and engaged them. The general thrust of this work
and its findings is that rather than simply blaming boys for their under
performance, we need to seek different approaches in our classrooms to
help to engage them as learners.

The excitement of chemistry

In my own life I can think of three
teachers who made a difference to my life - Mr Campbell (Grade 4), Mr
Blaze (Grade 7) and Mr Hoddle (Grade 11). My memories of them are rich
but the methods they used to engage me were very simple (and in one case
unconventional). All had a deep commitment to their teaching and
empathy for their students. They wanted me to learn and saw potential
within me that other teachers weren't able to see. Mr Campbell when
confronted with a new aquarium in his classroom turned to me one day and
said, "I'd like you to find out all that you can about tropic fish". He
gave me a book and sent me off to find out about them and how to care
for them. Several weeks later he asked me to present a mini-lesson to
the class on tropical fish. I was now the school expert on tropical
fish!

My grade 6 maths teacher Mr Blaze (he was also my
home room teacher, and cricket coach) overheard a student ridiculing me
one day in class because I was overweight. He turned to the boy and
said "I'll tell you what Meli, I bet TC will beat you in the
cross-country race this week". He proceeded to set a wager, with the
winner to receive $10 from his pocket. Now I had no intention prior to
this of going in that race. But I did, and ended up $10 richer.

Mr
Hoddle simply showed me that geography could be exciting by sharing his
love of the subject and something of his life with a small group of
senior students. He made it interesting by setting tasks that made us
explore, solve problems and work collaboratively with others. And all
the while he was interested in our lives and us.

The power of experience

None of these teachers used startling methods, and Mr
Blaze used one that was positively dodgy, but all showed an ability to
understand me and to try to reach and engage me. They also sought to
understand me relationally, treating me with respect, believing in me
and somehow, helping me to believe in myself. That's the art of good
teaching for boys (and girls as well).

Boys and girls
are different and as such at times require us to seek different
approaches and forms of engagement. It is easy to dismiss boys who act
out in classrooms as simply a pain in the neck for the teacher, but the
acting out usually has some source and foundation. Just what is it, and
how do we respond? The work of Michael Reichert and
Richard Hawley offer us some clues and ways forward.

Jessica Lahey concludes her excellent article with these wise words:

"Educators should strive to teach all children, both girls and boys by acknowledging, rather than dismissing, their particular and distinctive educational needs."

Friday, June 19, 2015

What is a Graphic Novel?

The term graphic novel has grown in popularity in the last decade, as an increasing number of authors have experimented with this format for presenting narrative accounts. In simple terms it is a text that makes added use of drawn images to communicate its meaning. In some cases, words are absent or largely secondary, whereas in other cases, word and image are used equally with clever integration.

Some include comics within the category, although the pairing of 'novel' with 'graphic' reflects the increased development of long fictional works. But this textual form can cover fiction, non-fiction, comics and anthologies. The definition is slippery. For example, Manga (Japanese for 'comic') are read by adults and children in Japan and can be substantial works with varied literary content. Other recent works by children's authors can have little or no words and once would have been called wordless picture books. Shaun Tan's brilliant book 'The Arrival' tells a complex tale of a man who leaves
his wife and child to seek a better future as an immigrant in
an unknown country on the other side of a vast ocean. He
finds himself in a bewildering city of foreign customs, peculiar
animals, curious floating objects and indecipherable languages. This 'graphic novel' tells the story with no words!

Some recent examples

I've had a number of graphic novels that have crossed my desk in recent months; here are just a few examples.

This is an adventure story for readers 6-9 years of age. Anders is a superhero; well a kid with a big imagination. The book celebrates the every day events of children's lives. It's the school
holidays, and Anders, Eden and a new friend, Bernie are amusing themselves in many ways. There are comics to be made, games to be played, ice-cream
to be eaten, and rhinos to impress at Wekiwa water park. But when Anders and his friends meet the Green Grabber things take on a whole
new direction, leading eventually to a dramatic rescue. The very simple line drawings in comic format with simple language will delight readers.

The 'Vermonia' series of graphic novels written and illustrated by YoYo (which is a Manga Studio) has now reached book number eight! Vermonia lies in the centre of the universe and its fate rests on the shoulders of four not-so-average kids. All of the heroes in the series have an adversary, avatar spirit, their own love interest and eventually their moment of truth. The illustrations are classic comic black line drawings with enough detail and quality to engage readers aged 9-14 years. This last book in the series ends with the triumph of the key characters. Not for me, but then again, the series wasn't written for me.

Tony Lee created his story from the original transcripts of Joan of Arc's trial
before her death at the stake. He manages to portray powerfully the extraordinary life
of a young farm girl who became the leader of an army of men. In 1424 she heard voices and had visions that helped save her village from attack in the Hundred Years' War. Was she touched by the devil or God? Shaping a story from the original transcripts of Joan of Arc's trial
before her death at the stake, Tony Lee portrays the extraordinary life
of a young farm girl who becomes the leader of an army of men. Her story
tells of a young woman who has an unflinching faith in God and in
herself. It is also a story of someone prepared to risk everything in
the battle for freedom and independence. Joan of Arc's unflinching faith in God and in
herself has inspired generations. After a trial for heresy she was executed. She was prepared to risk everything in
the battle for freedom and independence.

The graphic novel format seems ideal for this story and the illustrations of Sam Hart are wonderful, being full of colour and detail. Readers 11-14 will enjoy this story.

This is book 2 in the series of 'The Bloodhound Boys' books following on from 'The Great Bloodbank Robbery'. Beneath the earth Skull River is having mysterious earthquakes and yet, the Rocky and Vince have other things on their minds; they have a monster truck race to win. This dangerous and lethal race takes the boys off the track. But will they get back in time to stop the earthquakes? This fast moving tale with its simple (predictable) plot and simple line drawings will keep even the most reluctant boy readers turning the pages. Lots of fun for readers aged 6-9 years.

Saturday, June 6, 2015

1. We know that books widen knowledge, increase vocabulary and help to teach them about language and the world.
2. We know that being read to at home is linked to later success in reading at school.
3. We know that it helps to build common ground and strengthen relationships.
4. We know that it helps them to develop attention span.
5. We know that it helps us to build stronger relationships with the boys in our lives.
6. We know that it helps to divert them from too much screen time.

For a long time we've known that girls make a faster start
in reading in the early years. In the last 2-3
decades the gap between the literacy achievements of boys and girls has
widened in favour of girls. Professor William G. Brozo who is co-author
of the book 'Bright beginnings for boys'
shared this summary of boys' literacy achievements (primarily American
data) at an American Literacy conference in October 2008:

By grade 4 an average boy is two years behind an average girl in reading and writing

Boys make up 70% of special education classes

Boys are four times more likely to have ADHD

Boys are 50% more likely to repeat a grade than girls

Boys are three times more likely to be placed in a reading disability or learning class

So we know we have a problem, but what do we do about it?

Helping boys to become readers

Four fundamental building blocks to get boys reading:

1. Boys are more likely to be
attracted to books and reading when the books and the reading events
(whether at school, or reading with mum and dad) offer opportunities to
discover, experiment, explore, learn new things, make them laugh,
consider the curious or unusual, help them to play, see how things work,
share trivia tricks and facts with other boys, explore the unknown, and
generally do interesting things (see my previous post on this topic here).

2. Boys need to
understand the value of story and storytelling from an early age. This
can be acquired through early books, the stories you share with them
(anecdotes, memories, tall tales etc), traditional stories and fantasy.
Until boys value story, they will struggle to cope with reading.

3.
Fathers and mothers need to learn how to listen to and read with their
sons. Reading to and with boys is often different. You sometimes have
to work harder to make it enjoyable. It mustn't be boring or a
chore. See my previous post on this topic (here).

4. Fathers have a key role to play in boys literacy and learning development (see my post on research in this area here).

At a more basic level:

Boys
need a lot of help choosing books that they will not only like, but
which they will be able to read. Take the time to help your sons choose
books, if they pick up a book with an exciting cover and find that they
can't read it this will be a disincentive.

Fathers have a
special role to play in encouraging boys to see reading as a worthwhile
pursuit. Fathers who read will have sons who read. Fathers need to read
to and with their sons. A good way to do this with older boys who
struggle is to read the first few pages aloud and then ask your son to
read on. In this way you'll find that your son can read for longer and
cope with harder books.

Don't forget the importance of
non-fiction. Boys want to learn and non-fiction is often a good way in.
Try books about sea creatures, space, sport, transport, technology of
any kind (see previous post here). There are varied paths into reading (see previous post here).

There is also a place for riddles, joke books, cartoons, poetry and silly rhymes (see my post on this here).

Comics, graphic novels
and magazines are also a good place to start - get them reading. But
don’t forget that it is the quality of the story that will ultimately
motivate boys to want to read and so quality literature is important to
develop long-term readers (see previous post here).

Online reading and research is also a good source of reading challenge for boys.

I
hope I haven't given the impression above that only fathers can
motivate boys to read. Let's face it, more often than not it is mothers
who read more stories to their younger children. But there is an
important place for men reading books to and with boys, and research
evidence shows that fathers have a key role to play with boys' literacy
and learning (see my previous post on this here).Some sure fire starters for young boys

If you can't get your 3-5 year old boy to listen to a story try one of these ideas to turn this around:

1. Read
a book dramatically that lends itself to lots of action, loud noises
and maybe a rumble half way through (when the wolf eats Grandma, or the
boy gets falls out of the tree). Be dramatic, get their attention!

2. Read
a story that they've heard before but mess up the story line as you go
along. This is probably how writers invented fractured fairy tales. For example:

The
first little pig built his house from straw, but he wasn't stupid, so
he used super glue to hold the straw together. The wolf knocked at the
door and said, "Little pig, little pig, let me come in." The pig
replied, "No, no, no, I've used super glue, get lost." "Then I'll huff
and I'll puff and I'll blow you're house down," roared the wolf. "Two
chances wolfey, get lost" and so on. It doesn't matter if the story
logic breaks down, they will still love it anyway.

3. A
simpler version of the above is just to change the odd word. Boys (and
girls) love listening for the words you change. They will roar 'Hey, you
changed it from dog to frog'! To which you reply, 'Did I?' Even a story
with some limitations will suddenly become more interesting.

4.
Get
out some dress-up clothes and get them involved in acting out the story.
Try to involve all members of the family and have lots of fun. You can
sacrifice the accuracy of the story in favour of having a great time.
Creative and dramatic play based on stories can be a great motivator for
story.

Some Great Books for Boys

I've written a number of posts on good books for boys (including here, here & here),
so I won't repeat them here, except to list just 18 wonderful books to
read to and enjoy with boys. These books will rarely fail if you read them
with boys aged 7-12 years and do it with excitement and passion.

As
I've stressed above, while it isn't essential for children to begin
reading via books or fiction, there is a critical place for traditional
forms like children's literature because of the importance of
narrative to people. What I'm saying is that while boys might start
reading in many different ways, they shouldn't be allowed to avoid the
narrative form. As I commented in the third part of a series of posts
on the 'Power of Literature' (here)
I believe that while it is possible to learn to read without a rich
tradition of books and literature, I would argue that it isn’t possible
without a foundation of narrative and story. Why? Expert in narrative Harold Rosen offers the perfect answer to my question:

Narratives
in all their diversity and multiplicity make up the fabric of our
lives; they are constitutive moments in the formation of our identities
and our sense of community affiliation.

We build our
relationships with one another, share our humanity through the stories
we tell about our own lives and those that we have heard from others.
So our aim in using factual forms of reading, and alternative forms
like graphic novels and factual texts is of worth in it's own right, but
it shouldn't completely replace rich narrative forms like literature.

Some books about Boys and reading

Some of the following books offer good general advice about boys and reading

All my posts on boys and education (here)
'Making Reading Exciting for Boys' (here)
'Guys Read Website' - I don't like the design of this site but it has a great set of links to authors who write books that boys might like.
The UK Literacy Trust has a great list of resource links dealing with boys and literacy (here).
The Hamilton Public Library in Canada has a useful site with some good booklists and advice (here)
Max Elliot Anderson's blog 'Books for Boys' has some very useful material and links (here)
You can read all of my posts on boys (here) and boys education (here) using these links.
Family Action Centre at Newcastle University has an Excellent Fatherhood Network and many programs (here)

Rich literacy experiences from the start!

Follow this blog

Search this blog

Follow on Facebook

Receive new posts by email

Google+ Followers

About Me

I am a Professor of Education at The University of Sydney, Australia. I have spent a large part of my adult life as a teacher, academic, researcher and senior university administrator. My interests are varied, including how children learn language and literacy, the nature and construction of meaning, curriculum, pedagogy, and adult learning.